Thursday, August 02, 2007

Blogging Persona

This week, I've been catching up on reading blog posts and listening to various podcasts. I just cannot help but be fascinated by the wide range of topics and ideas that people are passionate about. I mentioned earlier this week that I'm trying to find perhaps a fresh approach to my blog and to blogging. (image credit)

I've never been a person who likes to get into a rut. I like to try to keep things fresh and not get bored. I've never been one that likes to be stereotyped - either in real life or in my blog life. What the heck am I talking about? Who knows sometimes?

Reflecting on some of the conversations that I've had on blogs and e-mails, I keep thinking about how blogging people are in real life. Sure, a person's personality is reflected somewhat in her/his style of writing. But, in thinking about a person's blogging persona - Do people come to expect a certain tone or a certain type of post after reading someone for a while?

Just a bunch of abstract thoughts, I know. I'm in one of those kind of reflective-type mood tonight as I write this. As I place the mirror up to my blogging face, I ask myself what I see? Do I like what I see? I know I have portrayed myself as a certain type of blogging personality - or sorts.

As I'm trying to find my blogging voice again, sometimes I have nights like this when my mind wanders. Is it possible to re-invent your blogging self? Do I want to try to change something about my style - just for the sake of change - just to satisfy my need to not be stereotyped as a certain style? I dunno. Sorry for the randomness, just my thoughts for tonight....

12 comments:

I think you should just blog and not really think about the persona so much.

It's what i do. My posts reflect the mood of the day for me. When I am down, then I'm certain my postings reflect that. when I'm happy then my posts are much more uplifting. I cant change who I am, or how I feel, no matter what people would like my blog to be. My blog is a reflection of me. good days, bad days, it's all there. I think you should just start blogging again, about whatever you want to blog of. I am soon moving so I will see you when I get all settled in.

i pretty much sound the same in real life and in my blog....and i thought before that it certainly bores other people and i felt responsible for that. but i also realized that there is no point in pretending to be something that i am not.

I am stumbling onto your blog for the first time, and so glad I visited.

I do think that a blogger's persona can be very powerful and should not be overlooked. That is not to say that it should not be a truthful representation of who you are (readers sense fakery, I suspect) but that is to say that careful thought should be put into every post. I think consistency in tone or voice is helpful (this has nothing to do with mood - ie I could be sad or joyful). Like many people, I have very little time to surf the web, but I find that those blogs that I visit time and time again, do have a persona and a charisma. The quality of the writing is good and I can rely on that. The blogs I like most are the ones that are personal - where the blogger's personality shines through, where you get a sense of the beating heart. But I am bored by entries that enter into mundane details about every day events.

This is the first time, I have seen someone bring up this issue in the blogosphere and I am fascinated.

Some bloggers, like some "people," are simply more steady in the face they present to different people (these are the people who say "my blog is pretty much me"); others are more chameleon, showing a different face to different people. There's nothing wrong with either way. Personally, my blog is in many ways the core me---but it isn't the full me. Sometimes when I write an edgier post, that departs from my normal "sweet, but cerebral" self, I feel I am taking a risk.

I think some bloggers, once they start to garner responses, do feel an obligation to their readers to perform in the same way as they have been. This is true of "real life," too. One blogger talked about how she normally doesn't dance at parties. Then one night she just felt like dancing, but was annoyed at the comments she got from friends: "You? On the dance floor? I thought you didn't dance." (In fact, perhaps she had always wanted to dance, but only now got up the nerve. Then to be questioned suspiciously about this, her real self!)

I know some bloggers, when they feel a need to depart from their usual "face," or when they are moving into a different phase of their life, will start a new blog entirely. Often it is still even linked to their profile. (Naturally, we don't see easily those that aren't.) "This blog isn't me anymore. I've now moved to ...." It's interesting. I see that and I know exactly what they mean.

Why try to put yourself in a box? You needn't worry about persona..Just do what you do my friend. When I came upon your blog last year, I read for a while and really liked your blog, so I put it on my sidebar. There is definitely something different in each one I go to.

I agree with all of them above. Don't worry, just "let it be" as the song says. I always find you interesting. Even when I don't say a word and just read, it doesn't mean I didn't find it interesting. It could mean every thing's been said already, I wasn't in a talkative mood, or I just had to get back to work - lunch was over.;) Carry on.